In woodworking, wood work-pieces not yet brought to final shape and size are often pieces of wood about three-fourths to one inch thick with front and back faces (or top and bottom faces) and with “edges” as broad as the thickness of the work-piece. The edges usually intersect the front and back faces at right angles, forming an “arris” where the plane or face of an edge and each of the front and back faces intersect.
It is often desirable to shape the edge of a wood work-piece. This is often most easily accomplished by shaping only a portion, such as one “corner” proximate one arris, of the work-piece edge at a time, requiring multiple operations to shape an entire work-piece edge. However, it is sometimes desirable simultaneously to shape the entire edge of a work-piece, that is, to shape the entire edge in one operation. Existing cutters are available for doing so, including rounding over cutters, bull nose cutters, and a variety of stacking and re-configurable cutters. Some such cutters are adjustable, but the capacity of such cutters to be adjusted is typically severely limited, usually within an adjustment range of only a few thousandths of an inch.
One of the complexities associated with edge-shaping or forming is the desirability of being able to form edge shapes on work-pieces having differing thicknesses. For instance, a huge fraction of all work-pieces used in cabinet making range in thickness between 0.75 inch and 1.0 inch, but many different thicknesses are used within that range.
As an example of an application requiring edge-shaping, it is often necessary to create a handle (or tote) for an item being made or repaired, such as a bench plane or a table saw jig to be slid on the saw table by manipulating a handle attached to the jig. The need to make a handle is particularly frequent when restoring or customizing an antique tool. Wooden handles on such tools are prone to damage and often need to be replaced. Furthermore, a user may want to replace a handle with one that better fits the user's grip.
These handles are often fairly complex, curved shapes, and getting a smooth shape can be very difficult. The typical approach is to cut the shape out using a scroll or band saw and then shape the final curves with rasps, files and sandpaper.
This exemplary need for a means for shaping edges with different thicknesses illustrates the desirability of a router cutter with such capability.